


But You're Supposed to Be Dead

by ayyitsellie



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-07
Updated: 2015-04-07
Packaged: 2018-03-21 16:19:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3698882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ayyitsellie/pseuds/ayyitsellie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm not very familiar with Mhairi's character, so I'm sorry if she's OOC. And i got a bit carried away with Hawke and her, this was a really fun story to write. And sorry if there are errors, I had to quickly type this up due to me writing it down in a notebook and not on the actual computer</p>
    </blockquote>





	But You're Supposed to Be Dead

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nausicaa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nausicaa/gifts).



> I'm not very familiar with Mhairi's character, so I'm sorry if she's OOC. And i got a bit carried away with Hawke and her, this was a really fun story to write. And sorry if there are errors, I had to quickly type this up due to me writing it down in a notebook and not on the actual computer

_It was like a bolt of electricity that ripped through her body and caused the woman to sit up quickly… well, at least try to. She hit her forehead hard against something solid and groaned as she rubbed her hand over where she was hurt. Once that pain subsided she reached up to try and see exactly what she made contact with and… it was… wood? She would have known for sure if there were any light where she was. Maybe next to her? She reached over and jammed her fingers against even more of the same material. What in the-- She kicked her feet about to find it was below her too. She reached above her head and, no big surprise, it was there too._

_“Oh, Maker, what happened?” she questioned out loud, her voice slightly panicked. She felt her breathing quicken and her heart beat speed up. Was the air always so heavy here? “Stay calm… okay, okay. Stay calm. You’re fine, slow your breathing, Mhairi.” she whispered to herself, taking in air through her nose and exhaling out her mouth. But it wasn’t working. She felt the fear of her situation rising up her chest and this made her need to get out of wherever she was immediately. She pressed her hands and feet to the wood above her and pushed with whatever strength she had within herself. Her arms began to shake, but she felt the wood crack and give and the next she knew, dirt was pouring in. The woman took a deep breath and clawed her way through what seemed to be an endless mound of dirt. It seemed like an eternity but she broke through and pulled herself onto sold ground. Oh, Maker! The air was so fresh and clean and she breathed it in deeply._

_She laid on the ground for who knows how long and stared at the sky, contemplating how she’d gotten into the ground in the first place. The last thing she remembered was drinking the darkspawn blood, and then she knocked out. Maybe this was some sort of prank senior members of the Grey Wardens did to newer ones? If so, it’s not very funny. But that’s not something the Wardens would do… at least she didn’t think they would. Mhairi sighed once, brushed dirt from her face and body, and sat up. That’s when she saw her tombstone. That’s when her blood ran cold. According to this she’d died in 9:31 Dragon. That’s not possible! She’s alive now, how could she be dead?? What year was it? Was it even the same year? The same age?! As she looked at the tombstone she saw a very old looking letter and the stems of long dead flowers. She grabbed it and read it as quickly as she could. It was from the Warden Commander, and how sorry she was for her… for her death._

_Mhairi would’ve thrown up, if she had anything in her stomach. She retched and shook and stared at the letter for what seemed to be hours. Only when something green ripped through the sky and the air was so harsh it nearly sent her flying back. That caused her to snap from her trance. It was vibrant and so bright she had to cover her eyes from the shine of it. Something had torn its way through the sky-- no into the sky. There was a green gaping hole in the middle of the previously cheery blue air, tearing the world’s previous peacefulness to shreds. Smokey bits of green debris flew down from the that... thing and landed on the ground with a hard impact. Mhairi stood to see what happened when they made contact but couldn’t, she was much too far away. As she was going to journey to see this tear, something aggressively ripped through the air directly in front of her. Countless demons poured out and Mhairi hid behind a tombstone. What had happened?! It’s as if the veil itself was torn and spirits were free to do as they pleased. No… no. That isn’t possible, that’s why the veil existed; to never allow this to happen.  She had no weapon, so her best bet was to remain where she was until the creatures were distracted for long enough so she could run._

_She liked that plan until she saw the demons heading for a town she’d failed to spot earlier. It was small, had probably a few hundred people, and would be destroyed easily if she continued to cower in the corner. She’d save that town, even if it killed her… again. So, she ran from her hiding place, screamed at the demons, and waited for them. The rocks in her hands may or may not keep her alive, but it’d hopefully allow someone to see her and alert the town. The first foe was a shade and two bashes with her stone caused it to crumble into a sickly green dust and fly back into the hole in the air. The next were harder to kill and she was burnt badly from a rage demon that crawled its way through the tear. Despite her circumstances, Mhairi managed to hold her own rather well… until she was pinned. A shade had its icy hand around her throat and pressed her against the nearest tombstone._

_“Your body shall make a fine vessel, mortal.” it hissed and raised its free clawed hand to strike a fatal blow, but someone took hold of its wrist._

_“At least take the girl out to dinner first.” a female voice stated cockily before the shade let Mhairi go and turned with an animalistic roar. Before anything happened, a dagger was through its body and it was gone. The woman helped Mhairi up and smiled at her._

_“Thank you…?” she didn’t even know her name and she saved her._

_“Hawke, Marian Hawke. And as much as I’d love to make weird, awkward, small talk with you, demons are still pouring from that thing.” Hawke pointed at the green tear and chuckled. “So, since you don’t have any weapons, would you mind telling the townspeople to kindly leave or they’ll die?” Hawke took their weapons out and Mhairi looked her up and down with a confused look. “Would you like to fight them with more rocks?” Hawke glanced back and Mhairi responded with an eyeroll before making her to the town. She informed them by shouting, waving her arms about, and pointing at the tear. That caused a minor panic, but also had the town cleared out in five minutes, tops. Hawke came to her, covered equally in blood and slime, with her eyebrows raised._

_“That was nice, fast work. Good job…?” she asked, holding out her hand, still covered in goop, and smirked. Mhairi snorted and shook it._

_“I’m Mhairi.” she answered, letting Hawke’s hand go. Hawke nodded before wiping their fingers off in the grass and whistling with them. A large armored horse came trotting up, it having blood smeared on its snout exactly like Hawke did. She was about to get on the horse until she pulled something from her pocket and held it out for Mhairi._

_“This is yours, I believe. I found it on you… grave, I suppose? I won’t ask questions since I see you’re a Grey Warden.” she tapped Mhairi’s armor and got onto her horse, holding out her hand for Mhairi._

_“Shouldn’t we do something about that hole?” Mhairi asked, glancing back at it, only to see a pride demon lurking toward them._

_“Mmmm… no. I don’t know what to do about it so… no. Unless you have some magical way of closing it… or want to die in a hopeless fight, be my guest.” when Hawke saw the determination in the other woman’s eyes, her hand shot out to stop her. “The town has evacuated. I don’t like demons either but we have to go. You have no weapons and I’m ill equipped in both potions and weapons.” Mhairi stared at the demon before taking Hawke’s hand and climbing onto her horse._

_“Where are we going?”_

_“Adamant. The Wardens there will take you in.”_

~

Everyone stared at the women as if they were crazy. Varric simply grinned and said, “You’re taking my ability for extravagant lies… I’m so proud.” he teased Hawke, nudging her with his elbow.

“So… we’re in the _physical_ fade and me coming back from the dead after ten years, or whatever, is still too farfetched for you?” Mhairi asked, raising her eyebrow. Her comment made everyone go silent whereas Hawke silently applauded, proving the two had grown friendly.

“If that’s really how you met… tell us of Adamant before all this mess.” Vivienne said as the group began to walk together to try and find their way out of this place.

“I went and the Wardens did take me in and perhaps a month and a half after everyone, myself included, heard the calling. Then the magister showed up and people grew desperate. Sacrifices, binding, killing each other in their sleep…” Mhairi shook her head and shuddered. “I was lucky I stayed in contact with Hawke and wrote her a letter about what going on and then I confronted Clarell.” Mhairi sighed and tightly held onto the hilt of her blade.

“She was nearly killed for that…” Hawke murmured, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “She was forced to flee the Order she loved and for the past months we’ve been trying to find out a way to stop what was happening.” Hawke frowned and sighed, shrugging her shoulders. “At least it isn’t a real calling.”

“Inquisitor.” Mhairi called, the woman turning around. “You have to know that this isn’t the real order. We’re not… truly like this. You have to know that the Warden Commander was only doing this out of fear. The Calling is a cold and dark time, and hard to experience. It plagues your mind and you’d do anything to have it stop…” Mhairi stood tall. Her words true and the Inquisitor heard them.

“I know… and I believe you.” she stated before continuing their trek.

“I thought the taint killed you. How are you still alive?” Cassandra asked, glancing over at Mhairi. “If there is some way to… not kill those who partake, it would allow the Warden numbers to flourish.”

“I did die from the taint, and yet I didn’t. It kept me in between, from life and death. And I think the surge of magic that came from the largest rift woke me up from this… sleep like death the taint had me in. I’ve no idea, but I know I’m thankful to be alive.” Mhairi stretched and smirked softly. They came to the end of the road, all stopping before the chamber of the fear demon. They prepared themselves, prepped themselves, and said final words if they were to parish.

“Thank you for saving me, Hawke.” Mhairi mumbled as she pulled out her blade. Hawke tilted her head and smirked as she cupped her hand behind her ear.

“Oh? What was that? I couldn’t hear you over the sound of you unsheathing your blade.” Hawke teased, sticking her tongue out as Mhairi softly punched her arm.

“I said, ‘Thanks for saving me’! Good enough?” she asked as Hawke gently took her hand and kissed it.

“More than good enough.” she mumbled, gently rubbing her hand with her thumb. “Be safe, please. I’ve lost too much and… and I can’t afford to lose you.” Hawke mumbled. Mhairi’s gaze softened and she cupped Hawke’s cheek.

“Don’t be cheesy.” she replied, as serious as Hawke was. The women erupted into laughter whisper-like laughter until Mhairi kissed Hawke. “I won’t leave you… I promise.” And then they went to battle. It was not an easy battle. It maybe would have been if Mhairi hadn’t seen her fears crawling around her like fresh larvae. One paralyzed her with fear as she felt the icy embrace of death again. Hawke had come to her aid, but not before fighting off her very own fear of losing Mhairi. The two fought through it, together, and when the demon was gone, everyone ran towards the open rift, not even taking a moment to breathe. Varric, Cassandra, and Vivienne had gotten through, but Hawke, Mhairi and the Inquisitor had not. They were separated by the larger demon and there was no way of getting out without killing it. But how could you kill something of that size? It was impossible! Impossible until--

“I’ll fight it off.” Hawke said, looking at it as if it were smaller than her.

“What?!” Mhairi and the Inquisitor said in unison, looking at each other, than Hawke.

“You’ll be killed!” Mhairi yelled at her, not angry at Hawke, but the situation.

“Maybe… maybe not. Optimism, darling. You must always have optimism. Maybe I’ll kill it first.” Hawke stated.

“No… no, the people need you. I’ll kill it.” Mhairi replied as she pulled out her blade.

“No! The Wardens need someone to rebuild them and that person is you.” Hawke shook her head. “And besides, I volunteered first.” Mhairi sighed and pulled Hawke’s face to hers and kissed her deeply one last time.

“Keep her safe Inquisitor.” After those words, Mhairi was gone, off towards the beast.

“Mhairi! NO!” she was going to go after her, stop her, but the Inquisitor’s grip on Hawke’s arm was strong. “Let go of me! Please!  I need her, please Inquisitor.” Hawke’s tears were already falling but the Inquisitor pulled, dragged her, to the rift.

Mhairi did not see what happened once the rift closed, but she felt it. The earth she was on shook and trembled, straight to its core. Something cracked, broke, and the next she knew the creature she was fighting was going down. It screeched with rage and anger and hatred, so shrill Mhairi covered her ears from the sharpness. It thrashed and managed to hook onto her arms, pulling the woman down with him. She dug her blade into the ground and stopped herself from falling, but it felt as if her leg would rip clean from her body. She let go of her hilt with one hand and reached down for a latch, for something that would remove the armor that held the two together. Her hands fumbled but she found it, and the creature tumbled down and away. She didn’t bother to look down, she just pulled herself up. She laid on the ground, far from the edge, and stared into the green, gravity free sky. The only thing she heard after a while was an older woman’s voice saying:

“You are not what I wanted, and yet you are.” she cackled, somehow finding this to be funny. “At least this time I didn’t need to turn into a dragon to save you.”


End file.
